In this image, we see soldiers marching in the Grand Tattoo of the German Armed Forces Bundeswehr for the former president, Christian Wulff, at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin. According to Reuters, Germany's other former presidents humiliated the former president by boycotting the torch lit military parade held in his honour.

The president was forced to resign last month over a political favours scandal.

When it was revealed that a superb site had been set aside in the nineties for the building of a grand presidential palace in Canberra – Yarralumla was thought to be far too modest - this revelation was very quickly downplayed.

From Paul Keating, republicans often cite the German system as the model for an Australian republic. We wonder whether it was also planned to have torchlit processions at the presidential palace in Canberra.